Geology & Non Renewable Energy
Chapters 8 &12
Must answer 24/28 questions
Test 1/27-1/28
Due Monday 1/6
1. Make a simple drawing of Earth’s three major zones. Describe the
composition of the zones. Briefly explain the internal process of plate
tectonics and the external geological process of erosion.
2. What is subduction?
3. What are the three types of boundaries found between the earth’s
lithospheric plates?
4. What is the difference between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere?
Which moves and which do we live on.
Due 1/7,Tuesday
5. From watching the movie and class lecture how did the tsunami of
December 2005 happen? What plates were involved and how did a tsunami
actually occur? Why do tsunami’s not occur all the time?
6. What is the difference between a mineral and a rock?
7. Distinguish between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Give two
examples of each.
8. Describe the rock cycle and explain its importance.
Due 1/8 (Wednesday)
9. What is an earthquake? What are the harmful effects?
10. Distinguish between the different types of volcanoes, basaltic and
composite. What are some hazards and benefits of volcanoes? (OMIT)
11. List three types of mineral resources, and give examples of each. Clarify the
relationship between identified resources and reserves.
Due 1/9 (Thursday)
12. Distinguish between subsurface and surface mining. Briefly describe the
environmental impacts of mining. Describe the 5 types of surface mining and
what is involved in subsurface mining. What does the Reclamation Act of
1997 require of companies?
13. How do mining companies find mineral deposits? (7 ways) Distinguish among
ore mineral, gangue, tailings. What is smelting, what are the major impacts of
smelting?
14. List the environmental impacts of extracting, processing and using mineral
resources. Summarize the U.S.1972 Mining Law. List seven ways to reform this
law.
Due 1/10 Friday
1. Assess the possibility of increasing mineral resource supplies through
finding new deposits, improving technology of mining low-grade ore,
getting minerals from the ocean, and finding substitutes. Take a position
on this issue of mining Antarctica, ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge)
2. What is acid mine drainage? How is it dangerous to the environment?
Where does the leachate go?
3. What are the environmental impacts of using mineral resources?
Due 1/13 Monday
15. What is soil? What is humus and what is its importance?
16. Explain the process of leaching.
17. Describe the problem of soil erosion. Describe both world and U.S. soil erosion
situations. Explain why most people are unaware of this problem. OMIT
18. What happened during the Dust Bowl? How is the US Government solving this
problem? OMIT
19. Define desertification. Summarize the state of desertification in the world and
in the U.S. Identify the major causes of desertification. Describe the problems
of salinization and water logging of soils and how they can be controlled.
OMIT
20. Distinguish between conventional-tillage farming and conservation-tillage
farming. Describe how land-use planning can help prevent soil erosion.
Describe three ways to increase soil fertility. Compare the pros and cons of
using inorganic and organic fertilizers. OMIT
Due 1/15 Wed
1. Describe the cause and effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power
plant accident in the former Soviet Union
2. What supplies 99% of the energy we use? What percentage of the
remaining 1% of the energy we use comes form nonrenewable and from
renewable energy in a) the world, b) the USA.
3. What is the #1 energy source used in developing countries?
4. What is petroleum or crude oil? How is oil extracted from the earth’s
crust?
5. What happens at the refinery? What are petrochemicals?
DUE 1/14 Tuesday
6. Summarize the “Age of Oil”
7. Who has most of the world’s oil reserve? What percentage of the world’s
oil reserve reserves are found in the USA? What percentage of the world’s
oil does the USA use? What percentage of the oil used in the USA is
imported?
8. How long are known and projected supplies of conventional oil expected
to last in a) the world, b) in the USA.
9. List pros and cons of drilling oil and natural gas in Alaska’s Arctic Wild
Refuge (ANWR) **** AP Essay
10. What are the pros and cons of using heavy oil from shale oil and tar sand
as energy sources? Of using conventional oil as an energy source?
Due 1/15 Wednesday
11. What is natural gas? Who has most of the world’s supply? What is
methane hydrate? Distinguish between liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG)
and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
12. What are the pros and cons of using natural gas as an energy source?
Due 1/16 Thursday
13. What is coal? How is it formed? Distinguish between peat, lignite,
bituminous & anthracite coal. How is it extracted from the earth? How is it
used? What four countries have the largest supplies?
14. How long are known and projected supplies expected to last in a) the
world, b) the USA
15. What are the pros and cons of using coal as an energy resource?
Due 1/17 Friday
16. Describe how a nuclear fission reactor works. What are the five major
components of a light–water nuclear reactor, and what role does each
play?
17. List the major advantages and disadvantages of using conventional
nuclear power to produce electricity.
18. What is being done with low-level radioactive waste produced by the
nuclear fuel cycle? List the pros and cons of the proposed site for storing
nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
19. List and briefly describe three ways to decommission a nuclear power
plant. List findings of the 1987 commission which brings the credibility of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to safeguard the nuclear power
industry into question.
20. Describe the potential use of nuclear fission and nuclear fussion sources.